Compound nouns

Nouns formed with gerund ('-ing') + noun: 'dancing-shoes'

   1)       When a noun has two or more parts (e.g. classroom), we call it a compound noun.

We can make compound nouns with the -ing form: e.g. dancing-shoes.

   2)       The -ing form can sometimes be an adjective:

Can you see that 'dancing' couple? (= couple that is dancing)

When the -ing form is an adjective, we stress both words and never use a hyphen.

   3)       The -ing form can be the first part of a compound noun:

I need a pair of 'dancing-shoes. (= shoes used for dancing; not 'shoes that are dancing')

When the -ing form is a noun, we stress the first word only and a hyphen is optional.

Write: Put a tick if the second word is part of a compound noun.

1. You need a pair of running shoes. √         5. This water is near boiling point. .....

2. We sat beside a running stream. .....       6. I need some boiling water. .....

3. Put it in the frying pan. .....                     7. Where are my walking shoes? .....

4. I like the smell of frying sausages. .....

Apostrophes ('s) or compound noun?

   1)       We use apostrophe s ('s) and s apostrophe (s’ with people and some living things to show possession: Gus's car, the girls' shoes, a dog's bark.

   2)       When we want to show possession with things, we can use of: the leg of the table.

However, we often prefer to use a compound noun instead of of: the table-leg.

   3)       We can say the voice of a man or a man's voice. (Not *a man voice*)

We can say the leg of a table or a table-leg. (Not *a table's leg*)

Write: Supply a phrase with 's or a compound noun in place of the phrases in italics.

1 Where's the key of the car? ...the car key. 17 Please clean the switches of the lights. ............

2 Where's the surgery of the doctor? ................ 18 1 spoke to the secretary of the boss. .................

3 It's the idea of the committee. ........................ 19 This is the new policy of the party. ....................

4 Don't damage the nib of the pen. ................... 20 The cover of the book is torn. ............................

5 It's the keyboard of the computer. .................. 21 He's the son of Mr Jones. .................................

6 I've cleaned the top of the desk. .................... 22 The gate of the factory was shut. ......................

7 It was in the reign of King John. ..................... 23 Please open the door of the garage. .................

8 Do you like the poetry of Eliot? ...................... 24 I've lost the photos of the children. ....................

9 It's the responsibility of no one. ...................... 25 The phone in the office is out of order. ..............

10 Look at the handle of the suitcase! ................ 26 The critic of the film was wrong. ........................

1 1 Polish the knob of the front door. ................... 27 She's a teacher of dancing. ...............................

12 The journey of Scott is historic. ....................... 28 Who's the mother of the twins? .........................

13 Who stole the bicycle of the postman? .......... 29 That's the wife of my brother. ............................

1 4 Put out the stub of that cigarette. ................... 30 1 need a new lamp for reading. ..........................

15 We've got a new table in the kitchen. ............ 31 The surface of the road is slippery. ...................

16 Don't pull the tail of the horse! ....................... 32 He is the secretary of the President. .................

Compound nouns which tell us about materials and substances

   1)       Names of materials and substances (leather, gold) are like adjectives when we use them to form compound nouns: a watch made of gold -+ a gold watch. (Not "golden')

These words behave like adjectives in this one way, but they remain nouns because they do

not have comparative or superlative forms and we cannot put very in front of them.

We stress both words in spoken English: I can't afford a 'gold watch’.

   2)       Two important exceptions are wood and wool, which have adjectival forms:

a table made of wood + a wooden table; a dress made of wool + a woollen dress.

   3)       There are adjectival forms for words like gold: glass/glassy, gold/golden, leather/leathery, silver/silvery, silk/silky/silken, steel/steely, stone/stony.

We use them to mean 'like': a golden sunset (= a sunset like gold).

Write: Make compound nouns or use adjectival forms.

1 a raincoat made of plastic… a plastic raincoat.          10 a blouse made of cotton.....

2 a shirt made of silk …..                                                11 a teapot made of silver…..

3 hair like silk…..                                                            12 a voice like silver…..

4 a table-top made of glass…..                                       13 a wall made of stone…..

5 eyes like glass…..                                                        14 silence like stone…..

6 a wallet made of leather…..                                        15 a tile made of ceramic…..

7 a spoon made of stainless steel…..                             16 a nailbrush made of nylon…..

8 nerves like steel…..                                                    17 a tongue like leather…..

9 a pullover made of wool…..                                       18 a spoon made of wood…..